One of the Republican leaders in the state Senate expects lawmakers to approve Governor Scott Walker’s proposed tax cut plan within the next two weeks. Senate President Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) says he plans to schedule a vote on the $504 million income and property tax cut by March 4, and he believes they will have the votes needed to pass the bill by then.
The tax cut Walker introduced in his State of the State address already passed in the Assembly earlier this month, but the proposal has faced opposition from Republicans in the Senate who are worried it could increase the state’s structural deficit by about $100 million in the next budget biennium. Ellis says a proposed agreement would have the state setting aside $120 million to reduce the structural deficit.
The Joint Finance Committee is set to take up changes to the tax cut on Wednesday with a public hearing scheduled at the Capitol. After the committee acts, Ellis says he would be “surprised if, by March 4th, we don’t have 17 or 18 votes” for the package.
The state Assembly would have to sign off on any changes that are made by the Senate.
Mike Kemmeter, WHBY